Freshman credits good friend for success

Valley coaches and swimmers lined the pool and cheered on freshman Nick Rubba in his final leg of the 100-yard freestyle race Thursday in a tri-meet against Mountain View and Greeley Central at Greeley Recreation Center.

Greeley Central scored 108 points in the team standings to take the win, but the afternoon belonged to Rubba.

The freshman came into Thursday’s meet .42 seconds shy of qualifying for the Class 4A state swimming championships in the 100 freestyle. He met his mark, finishing in 52.85, well ahead of the 53.5 needed to qualify for state.

Amid fans and coaches, Rubba credited a longtime friend and fellow competitor, Mountain View sophomore Anthony Gagnon, for pushing him to his first individual state qualifying time.

“I had one of my good friends in the lane next to me and we always push each other,” Rubba said. “I told him I was going to keep up with him because he is always pushing me to go my fastest. I kept up with him, had good turns, and I just wanted to make it and (reach) my goal.”

Gagnon got the better of his childhood friend in the 200 freestyle and in the 100 freestyle as he took first in each event, but he said the fact Rubba will be able to join him at state was his highlight for the day.

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“We basically live with each other so everything we do is fun,” Gagnon said. “It was awesome to be able to do that with him. The past year we’ve been real close together and he has been really close, and for him to qualify by almost a full second was really cool.”

The down side for the Vikings and Rubba is that after he collected the Valley’s second qualifying time of the season, the team changed from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

Vikings coach Lynn Painter said he had hoped his 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay teams also would collect state-qualifying times on the afternoon, but said not every swimmer was on the same page. The 200 freestyle relay team of Rubba, Reed James, Oliver Clyncke and Brayden Morison, and the 400 freestyle team of Rubba, Clyncke, Morison and Matt Brower crossed the line first in their events, but were slower than their seed time coming into the meet.

“Our kids need to get tougher. At the end of meets, they won’t swim, they give up on themselves,” Painter said. “(Rubba) swam a 52 (in the 100 freestyle) then in the relay he jumps to a 57. That’s just mentally not tough and that’s what they need to do.

“They have to figure some of that out on their own and then (the coaches) will try to help them the last three weeks.”

For Greeley Central, Thursday offered coach Nikki Plunkard a chance to give her younger swimmers some competition experience, as she rested most of her varsity to stay within the rules of how many meets they could swim.

The mix of young and veteran Wildcats ran with the opportunity, as they won six of the 12 events and earned their first team win at a tri-meet this season.

Central was led by Patrick Ryan’s two individual wins in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

Wildcats junior Jake Carmin took first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:34.13, but came up one second shy of qualifying for state. Carmin said initially he thought the run felt good enough to qualify, but isn’t discouraged he fell short Thursday.

“When I was about mid-way, I looked up and saw my time and thought I had it,” Carmin said. “If I would have picked it up more I’m sure I would of had it, but I’m still happy with my time.”

Plunkard added she fully expects Carmin to improve the additional second he needs. He already has improved his time six seconds from the beginning of the season. Saturday, when the team travels to take on Mountain View, will provide him a good opportunity, she said.

“He’ll make it. We’re really shooting for Saturday for him to make state,” Plunkard said. “But he also has, technically, three more opportunities to make state.”